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This is what the car looked like when I bought in the summer of 97. I drove the car some after putting new tires, exhaust and electronic ignition on it.
In 1995 I started looking for another old Mopar, I had been out of the game for a while and wanted to get back into it. At the time I was working in a tire shop and had just gotten engaged.
A man that I knew came in to the shop and I just happen to ask him if he had anything that he wanted to sell. He told me he had a 68 Barracuda and a few Dusters but not much else.
I wasn't sure I wanted a Barracuda at the time so I passed on the offer.
2 years later he came back in and I again asked if he had anything for sale. He said I still have the Cuda and if you want it I'll sell it cheap.
Well, hearing the word cheap made me go look at the car.
I got to his house and didn't see anything sitting out. He took me over to a barn, Inside sat the Barracuda with about an inch of dust on it. I looked the car over and it seemed solid and wasn't wrecked. We put in a battery, new points and some fresh gas and it fired right up.
He said I could have it for 1500.00 bucks today only.
I drove back to the bank, Got the cash and bought it. Hell I drove the darn thing home (as you can see in the pic).

I drove the car from time to time after putting new tires, exhaust and electronic ignition on it. Even raced it a few times too, Car ran pretty good (13.21 @ 101mph).

During the next few years I acquired a 72 Challenger for 35.00, Yes you read right and its not a type-O.
It was a rolling chassis and had a BB K-frame in it (original SB car). The plan was to make the Cuda a driver and the Challenger an all out drag car.

Well times changed and I went through a rough period in life.
My wife asked for a divorce and told me she will be asking for the cars in the divorce. knowing that bit of information was critical. I sold both cars to a friend of mine so she wouldn't get her grubby little hands on them.
Both cars were titled to me and only the Cuda was bought prior to the marriage. When we went before the judge I was asked about the cars. I told the judge they were sold to help pay bills that otherwise would have been delinquent.
I presented a bill of sale and the bills I paid with the money.
She and her lawyer bitched but the judge sided with me saying "He did what he had to do to make ends meet".
The divorce was final and once the papers were in hand I went out and bought the Cuda back.
It sat in the garage for about a year and then I moved to my new house and shop. I moved the Cuda in to its new home knowing that within a couple of years it would be road worthy again.

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I looked for several months for body shops, I talked to a few and even visited a few places, I talked to 5 places in all.
One was 2 hours away and I didn't like that idea cause I want to take pictures as it goes. 2nd shop talked a good game and did great work, but would never come and look at the car to give a quote as he told me he would. 3rd guy was a kid just starting out. He does good work but not what I wanting and I was a little nervous about him doing it. The 4th guy I talked to came out but told me his boss would have to come out and give a bid. I waited and nothing ever happened. A few weeks later I happen to be at a body shop that did work on my 2005 HEMI Ram. I asked the owner if he was busy (making small talk) and he told me "No, Slow as hell right now".
So I asked if he wanted some fill in work and do a resto on my old car. He told me he would be out in 2-3 days to look it over. Well within 3 days he was in fact out to look at it and we struck a deal.

Later that month I took the motor and Trans out of the car and loaded it up and took it to his shop.
In January of 2008 they started on the car. I knew the car was going to be fill work so I was ok with that. I stopped in a few weeks ago to take some pics of the dash so I could check out some after market stuff.

The car was now under construction!

Most of the parts needed for this resto will come from LAYSONS RESTORATIONS

Here is what it looks like as of today

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